WEEK 96: KNOW YOUR BODY

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.   Anais Nin

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Have you ever stared at a large tree in awe? 

Its strength. Its size. Its persistence. 

Crazy to think it started as a see. Then it grew out of the ground with only a few branches, to now be a beacon in the sky. 

Now there were definite times when the tree had to endure times of stress, storms or droughts, in order to stand so firm in the ground today. 

Ironic thing is massive growth came from these chaotic times. Roots grew stronger and deeper in the ground, branches became stronger from enduring high winds. All of which, allowed for more growth during calm times.

Additionally, the strength of the tree was tested during droughts where there was limited rainfall.

The process of how a mature tree achieved its size and strength is the same as your path to achieving massive success and your dreams. 

The DIPs where you encounter uncertainty and uncomfortable feelings, are the storms and droughts the tree faces.

Funny things is we try to avoid these negative feelings at all costs.

Yet, these feelings are a trigger to signal growth and pushing you past your comfort zone to learn new skills. 

I know it is hard to take this perspective, but these are the times your "roots" are reaching deeper into the soil to anchor you in the midst of the turmoil.

Now I have discussed this idea of "Cultivating your Soft Zone" or to use uncomfortable feelings to your advantage before, but I want to share some new insights I have gained, which breaks this down into THREE main themes.

1. If your body tenses, then KNOW YOUR BODY IS READY FOR ACTION.

In the past I would perceive this as nerves and try frantically to calm my them, but this only aggravated the situation. I have learned sweaty palms, knots in your stomach, and tense shoulders is a trigger to let you know your BODY is ready for action. 

You are like a jaguar ready to pounce on its prey!

The energy you feel is ready to be applied. 

Knowing this will help you transform your energy from one of nerves to one of alertness. 

2. If you breathe heavy or frequently, then KNOW YOU ARE GETTING MORE OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN.

Another trigger I used to think of as negative side effect of nerves, but now perceive as my brain getting more oxygen. 

This is Awesome, as you gain the understanding your brain is getting plenty of oxygen, thus allowing you to think properly in a crucial moment. 

3. If you feel frustrated with your current results, then MAKE ROOM AND ANALYZE PRINCIPLES.

You will make massive goals on the path to achieving success and your dreams, yet most of us get caught up in the results. 

Step 1.  This is where you need to MAKE ROOM in your mind for the awesomeness you can create. This happens by NOT comparing your results to others. 

Step 2. Analyze your principles or daily actions and decisions. Your results are the result of, well the actions you take daily. Thus, if you are frustrated with your results, then make a list of actions and use the Pareto principle (20% of actions create 80% of results) to identify which actions to focus on, and which actions to drop.

This has helped me accelerate my growth and progress towards achieving my ultimate outcome of writing/publishing a book, launching my online business (by the way closed a 51k contract last week!). 

Thus, use this three steps process to "cultivate your Soft Zone" to use the uncomfortable feelings you feel during your DIPs to your advantage. 

Just remember, massive trees needed these chaotic times in order to grow stronger roots into the ground and reach new heights never thought imaginable. 

The same with YOU. You will have to embrace these times in order to reach new levels of success and achieve your wildest dreams. 

What Went Well?

Traveling yet again, schedules off, but weekly task completed. 

By the way, our little company closed our first large contract today! 51k, BOOM!

What is something we can improve? What actions can we take next week?

Getting to bed on time. I have written this in past weeks, but have yet to make this happen CONSISTENTLY. Sleep = happier, more efficient Jess. 

What is something to avoid next week?

Not getting to bed on time. 

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PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST